Love Among the Living
by faithangel366
Summary: Sakura is working for the Konoha police department as a medical examiner. Her job suits her perfectly and she loves her collegues. The only thing that doesn't go well with her work is her love life.Hatake Kakashi is a detective working in the homicide department and he notices Sakura way too much. Modern day fic. Full summary inside ;)
1. Case 1 The Tragic Beauty part 1

**Summary: Sakura is working for the Konoha police department as a medical examiner. Her job suits her perfectly and she loves her collegues. The only thing that doesn't go well with her work is her love life. Apparently guys are squeamish when her job is concerned. Hatake Kakashi is a detective working in the homicide department and he notices Sakura way too much. He is pulled towards her and attracted to her in too many ways but what will he do when he learns that the pink haired doctor doesn't want to date police officers or detectives for that matter.**

**Authors note: This fic is based in modern day. I am not that good when it comes to medical terms or anyhting but I am trying. It's just that this idea came to me more than once and I finally decided to give it a try. Hope you like it.**

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Sakura awoke to the annoying vibration of her pager on the night stand. She slowly opened her eyes and once she made sure that it was still night time she made grunt of annoyance as she grabbed the device and looked at the screen to see a very familiar number flash on the screen:"Figures!" she grunted while she slowly got up from her bed and made her way to the bathroom.

She splashed her face with cold water so she can chase away the slumber. After brushing her teeth she applied some mascara and some lipstick and went to get dressed. She quickly chose some sporty pants and tank top. Putting a simple jacket over her shoulders she exited the apartment building and got into her car.

Following the GPS instructions she couldn't help but let out a deep breath. Sakura was in her twenties and working as a medical examiner for the Konoha Police department. She had returned to her home city only three weeks ago and already the work was piling up. She was surprised as to how much the crime had grown in her absence. For the short time on the job it was the third night call she was getting and during the day the bodies kept coming also.

Sakura used to live and work in Suna before she moved back but in Suna things were quiet and she felt safe. She couldn't say the same here thought. As she made a right turn the scenery around her changed from city lights and lively streets to a lush green forest. She rolled down her window and let in some of the night air to sway her long pink locks:"_At least Konoha's weather is not like the one in Suna._" She thought with a small smile playing on her lips.

As she arrived at the crime scene she noticed that everyone was ready and waiting for her. Red and blue lights were flashing all around her and uniformed staff was walking around canvassing and discussing the crime scene. Grabbing her medical kit from the backseat she quickly slipped out of her grey Toyota Yaris and made her way to the policemen standing on post. She didn't recognize anyone yet but flashing her ID badge the guys quickly lifted the yellow tape to let her through. Nodding and flashing them a smile she made her way deeper into the forest area wondering as to what was going on:

"Sakura, this way." A voice called and she turned around to see as to whom it belonged to.

Genma was standing a few feet away waving at her to catch her attention. Sakura quickly approached him and apologized:"Sorry it took me so long to come. It's hard to find this place."

Genma flashed her a flirtatious smile while saying:"You could have said so I would have came rushing to get you." Sakura chuckled at his words. In the beginning when she had started work she felt a little intimidated by his open attempts of flirting but later she found out that he was like that with every female in the department:

"Genma I would have loved that but I am afraid I would have a target on my back if I get too close to you." She replied with playfulness in her tone and winked at him. Bu then she got all busyness:"So what do we have?"

Genma put his hand on her back and guided her through the trees and grass, talking at the same time:"Well it's pretty freaky I mean you have to see. The victim is female age between twenty and twenty-five. We hope you can tell us more but I hope you wouldn't be that pissed at the crime scene."

Sakura was just about to ask as to why she would be angry when he stopped and she looked around. The body of a young woman lay in a creek floating in the water. Her wet skin glistened in the faint moonlight. Lifeless eyes stared at the treetops above her. She was dressed in a short white dress with her red lock floating around her in the water making a halo around her head. He hands lay atop her stomach clenching a small bouquet of white calla lilies.

Sakura let out a deep breath and sighted. She always felt bad when the victims were this young but she couldn't help but shrug as well because the whole scene seemed just creepy. She turned to Genma:"I have to step into the water now don't I?"

Genma smiled at her to indicating a positive answer but he couldn't help but chuckle as well. In the short time he knew Sakura he noticed that whenever the crime scene was horrible and everyone felt really down she would say something light and happy to shift the atmosphere a bit. This time was no different after her rather rhetorical question several heads looked in their direction and managed to crack a smile.

Genma managed to find her some fishing boots and as she stepped into the water she tried to balance herself while sinking in the mud below the water. While slowly walking like an idiot towards the body she called out to him:"Are you going to work this case alone or is Naruto around here somewhere?"

He was watching her stomp like a giant in the water and smiled while responding:"No my partner finally finished his vacation and he should be here in ten minutes." She suddenly stopped and turned her head around:"He is late?"

Genma simply smiled and muttered:"You still don't know anything about Hatake Kakashi."

Sakura finally reached the body and her eyes couldn't help but wonder up and down the woman's body. She had pearl white skin and red hair that stood out like the red on a traffic light. She was really beautiful with plum rosy lips and blue eyes she was the image of perfection. But Sakura had work to do and she never dwelled on her "clients" (like she called them) faces. They tended to stick in her mind sometimes and she wanted to avoid that.

Lifting her arms she found them stiff and hardly mobile meaning that this woman was dead for a longer period of time. She still asked Genma:"When was the body discovered?" Genma took out his notepad and flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for:

"Some kids were camping out here and discovered the body around midnight. They were pretty wasted so they couldn't say much."

Sakura smirked at the statement while giving the flowers the woman was holding to a CSI to bag it. She then proceeded to inspect the body for any bruises and cuts but found nothing like that. She was in her own little world when she heard Genma say:"Kakashi finally where the hell have you been. Even the doc came before you and she is the last one called for these things."

Sakura carefully turned around curious to see as who is Genma's partner. He had long silver hair that covered his right eye giving him a somewhat mysterious look. She could tell that he hadn't shaved for two days at least but to her it gave him a more manly and rugged look. His nose was straight and fair and so were his lips. He was a tall man from where Sakura was standing she could say that he was at least one point ninety high. He wore a white shirt with a tie that was a bit loose around the collar but she could also tell that as most policemen and detectives he had a muscular figure.

With ease Sakura could say that he was a very handsome man. But she didn't think about these things so much since she swore off dating cops a long time ago. When Kakashi caught her staring she gave him a warm smile:"Oh I almost forgot „Genma said as he saw the awkwardness between them:"Kakashi this Haruno Sakura the new medical examiner. Sakura meet my partner Hatake Kakashi."

Sakura waved at him while saying:"I would shake your hand but I don't want to look like an idiot stomping in and out of the water." She could see the corners of his raising into a smile as he added in a lazy tone:

"That's alright I can see you have your hands full over there. So what can you tell us?"

Sakura turned back to the body with a smirk on her face:"Straight to the point _eh_?" she thought while turning the head of the victim right to left. But the something caught her attention. She fished out her flashlight from the pocket of her pants and flicked it on directing the light to the lips of the victim. The color was dark blue which led Sakura to believe that she may have found the cause of death:

"Well there are no visible wound or bruises indicating self defense or harm done to her but judging by the color of her lips I can tell you that she was poisoned. However I will be able to tell you more once I perform the autopsy."

Sakura turned around and saw Kakashi was in deep thought and Genma was scribbling notes in his notepad. She turned one last time to the body in the water:"_Poor girl. Was it wrong time, wrong place or something more? I hope the guys can figure it out_." She thought.

Genma's voice brought her to reality:"Okay girl you can come out now. Unless you like it there?" Sakura threw him a dark glance and turned around trying desperately to keep her balance, once she got close to the shore where both of them where standing she lifted her right leg to climb up but suddenly she felt her left one wobble in the mud and she started drifting down on her back.

Sakura closed her eyes waiting for the cold water to hit her skin but nothing like that happened. Instead she felt a strong hand grasping her arm. She looked up only to find Kakashi staring into her eyes:"Oh dear God. Thank you." She said with a smile of appreciation.

He smiled back at her and helped her by pulling her up on the shore. As she felt the hard surface under her feet Sakura peeled her latex gloves of her hands and looked at the two men next to her:"It will take some time until they take her back to the morgue but I will try to give you something as soon as I can."

Both men nodded so she turned around and made her way back to her car. Kakashi stared at her back following every move of her body. Her long pink locks were pulled into a high ponytail that swayed with her movement. He couldn't help but notice the sway of her perfectly shaped hips as well but as his eyes lingered in the wrong places for too long he suddenly remembered that he had a case to focus on. And with that he turned to Genma to get all the info.

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Every case will be separated in three parts. However I am open to suggestions from you guys. If you have any good ideas about a crime you can send me a message or simply write in the reviews.


	2. Case 1 The Tragic Beauty part 2

Once she got to the morgue Sakura quickly changed into her scrubs and made herself a cup of strong coffee and began to organize her working space. She liked everything to be neat and tidy so she could ease herself while working. Sakura looked around the room and once she approved of everything she sat in a chair nearby and sipped her still hot coffee.

Wrapped in silence she couldn't help but think as to how she had ended up here. In the beginning when she applied for medical school she wasn't sure as to what kind of medicine she wanted to pursue a career in. She was attracted to general medicine but once she found out that she got too attached to people she decided that working in a hospital wasn't for her. Her father used to be a policeman and she knew her way around law so she decided that being a medical examiner was perfect for her.

There was no way she could lose a patient and suffer for it since the people she worked with were already dead. Also there was this little feeling of wanting to find out the truth behind someone's death pushing her further into criminal medicine. However when she graduated from college all of the available positions were already taken, so when she received an offer from Suna she took it without thinking.

Moving away from her home, family and friends wasn't easy but Sakura quickly got wrapped up in her work so she didn't dwell on it too much. She spend five years in Suna and one day she got a pleasant surprise in a call from her former teacher in college Tsunade. The woman had asked if she was interested in returning to Konoha to work in the police department and Sakura had accepted the offer without a second thought.

She came back to her friends and family and now was living with her best friend from childhood Yamanaka Ino. Sakura had to admit she felt better in Konoha and also the guys at the department were all nice and welcoming. So far her life was perfect with one little exception. Her love life was tragic.

It wasn't the fact that she wasn't attractive. Sakura liked to think of herself as pretty and charming and she had no trouble when it came to the attention of men. But once those men heard as to what her job was they would go running in the opposite direction. Slicing up the dead was something no man expected to hear on a first date from a woman. She didn't remember when the last time she had a date was let alone a man to warm her bed but she wasn't complaining much.

All of her friends were telling her that within the police department she could find a lot of potential boyfriends but she always shrugged off the idea. Cops were all the same to her. She saw her father in them. Troubled and a little crazy from all of the violence, they would close themselves from the world and drown their sorrows in a bottle.

Sakura deeply respected all of those who had chosen to protect the citizens of Konoha but somehow she didn't see the potential of a long term relationship in any of them. The occasional one night stand yes but love no.

Sakura was taken back to reality by the two guys pushing the stretcher in the room. They greeted her and passed the documents to her. Looking at the covered body Sakura slowly whispered to herself:"It's going to be a long day."

Kakashi and Genma had finished their work at the crime scene. They had questioned the teenagers that had found the body and after discussing their statements they decided to go back to the station and start with the real work. They had to find out the identity of the victim and after find relatives as to identify her. Driving slowly through the city Kakashi was taking the sight of the lights that played all around him.

His vacation had ended only yesterday and already he had to go back to work. But crime never did wait for anyone. He was replaying the crime scene in his mind trying to find some answers when his train of thoughts was interrupted by Genma:"I hope the doc will get something. This case is pretty freaky and the faster we solve the better. I don't feel like dealing with the media."

Kakashi nodded at his words but he asked:"Since when do we have a new medical examiner?"

Genma chuckled at his question:"Three weeks ago. She is pretty new around here. Before she was working in Suna but when Tsunade retired they called her in."

"So she is from Suna. Funny since the name Haruno sounds pretty familiar to me." He said while picking up his plastic cup of coffee

"No she is from Konoha. Her father was a detective in the department. When I asked her why she went to work in Suna after she graduated from college, she said that she had to since there were no available positions here."

"I see." Kakashi murmured slowly before turning his attention back to the scenery around him. Genma looked at his friend and partner and a devilish smile appeared on his lips. He knew why Kakashi was asking these questions and he couldn't help but tease him:

"You noticed she is hot haven't you?"

"Shut up." was the only reply he got.

It was already nine in the morning and Sakura felt that the coffee she got wasn't enough to keep the sleepiness away. The melancholic song she was playing on the stereo wasn't helping as well. But it was one of her favorite artists and songs so she couldn't help but whisper the lyrics while examining the chest cavity of her "client":

"_I can see my baby swinging_

_His Parliament's on fire and his hands are up_

_On the balcony and I'm singing_

_Ooh baby ooh baby, I'm in love"_

Mumbling the verse Sakura looked back at face of the girl on the table and said in quiet tone:"You are a tragic beauty aren't you. That's why this music fits you."

Arriving at the morgue Kakashi and Genma proceeded to Sakura's room so they can get the details. In the hallway they ran into the other medical examiner Shizune. The young woman was wearing a pair of mint green scrubs and a pair of white slippers. Her brown short hair ended at her chin. When she saw them she smiled at them and greeted them:

"Hey guys. You here to get the details?"

"You guessed right." Genma replied:"Sakura's here right."

"If you can hear the music then, yeah."

"_Music?_"

Genma stayed behind to get a cup of coffee for Sakura and as Kakashi was walking down the hallway he heard the faint melody of a song. The music was slow and it reminded him of a sixties café. He hesitated in front of the double floors but then he decided to push and go in.

Sakura was perched down examining the lungs of the victim and her lips were moving along with the singer. Her low sweet voice reached his years and he couldn't help but stop and just listen and look at her with a small smile on his lips. Then his eyes moved along her body. The navy blue scrubs she was wearing were baggy and clung to her petite form like bags but he could see that she was fit. Her arms and her legs looked toned and strong. Without raising her gaze she scolded him in playful manner:

"You know it's not polite to come in without saying "Hello" and just stare."

He almost blushed at her comment but quickly composed himself and approached her:"You looked so concentrated and I didn't want to disturb you."

She looked up. Jade eyes met his own:"_God her eyes are amazing_." He thought while staring into the watery green depts of her gaze. There was something flickering in those eyes. Some kind of emotion but he couldn't quite catch what it was. Before he could dwell on it further he heard the doors swing behind him and Genma entered the room with a cup of steaming coffee. Suddenly her face lit up:

"Please tell me that's for me."

Genma gave her a smile and said:"You can have it. For a kiss."

The only response he got from her was a grunt before she stole the cup from his hands which earned her a chuckle from Kakashi. She threw both of them a dark glare and went back to the table to pick up the paperwork:

"I got her prints. If you need them to identify her." She said while handing them the folder.

"No worries. We found out who she is through a missing persons report. Her name is Nakano Kasumi; she is twenty-four years old used to work as a waitress in an Italian restaurant. The report was filed two weeks ago."

Sakura hummed while looking up at the ceiling. Two weeks ago was the estimated time of death in her opinion:

"Around same time she died." She said quietly

"If she died two weeks ago why does she look so fresh?" Kakashi said while flicking a gaze to the girl on the table.

Sakura rounded the table and sat in the chair closer to the desk:"That's the other thing I wanted to tell you. Cause of death was poisoning there are no other things pointing the opposite. However she was preserved. The temperature where she was kept was the same we keep here in the morgue. Also the killer dressed her up and made her look like this."

Both men looked at her after her last statement and Kakashi asked:

"What do you mean?"

"Well I mean look at the pictures I took before washing her up. Her makeup was perfect and also she was dressed in a nightgown. Would you walk around the streets in your pajamas?"

"That was a nightgown?" Genma asked surprised:"I guess it takes a woman to notice."

Sakura then got up and approached the body. She caught the girl's wrist and turned it up only to reveal a series of scars from cuts:"Also judging from these I would say that Kasumi was suicidal."

"She tried to kill herself?" Kakashi asked while looking Sakura in the face. The young woman nodded

"I can tell you what the poison used to kill her is when I get back the report from the tests. But mind if I suggest something?"

Both men were open to anything since they had no idea where to begin the investigation so they quickly nodded and focused on what Sakura was going to tell them:

"Suicides are not unusual. However there are those who can't quite get there when they attempt to take their lives. Back when I was in Suna there was this support group for people like that. The program was really strange and scary but proved to be effective. The guy who started the group was Sasori. However a few months before I left there was a really big scandal. One of the members claimed that Sasori tried to kill her but there was no evidence to support that statement. So humiliated by the press in Suna Sasori moved his support group busyness here. I saw an ad in the paper last week. You might want to check that out."

Kakashi thought over her words but he felt like he had to ask:

"And why do you think that Kasumi would visit such a group?"

"Because when someone fails to kill themselves and they end up in a hospital the staff is required to recommend either a psychologist or a support group such as that one. I have the authority to pull up Kasumi's medical file and look if she has been admitted in a hospital due to her self-inflicted injuries and I can point you to the doctor who was treating her. He can give you more accurate information." Both men nodded with smiles on their faces but still Sakura had to say something to make them chuckle:"But you have to ask politely."

The information Sakura had given them was a really big help. Kakashi interviewed Kasumi's family and friends and all of them claimed that she was a very troubled girl. Ever since she was a teenager she was acting anti-social and kept everything to herself. Her parents told the detectives that she tried to end her life at least three times. But it was when she joined the support group Sakura told them about she got better.

Her parents claimed that she became lively and social and she had even taken a job as a waitress. She was always talking about the group and how the people there related to her. Both her mother and father said nothing since they had finally seen that their little girl was getting better. However one night she just didn't come back. She went to her group's meeting as usual and she was supposed to be back by ten o'clock but she never did. Her parents said that she wasn't acting any different before she left for the meeting but they were deeply shaken when they saw the way their daughter was found.

Kakashi hoped that they could catch the creep as soon as possible so he could offer these people closure. That's why he insisted that he and Genma go to the hospital and talk to Kasumi's doctor as soon as possible. He also felt that once this case was over they owed Sakura big time.

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Author's note: Maybe everytime when there is a case I quote a song to reflect the victim. I am not sure yet, I am just playing with the idea ;)


	3. Case 1 The Tragic Beauty part 3

Once Sakura met up with Kasumi's parents and showed them the body to identify it she couldn't help but feel their despair. The scene she had just witnessed was the only thing she hated about her job but in her opinion there was no perfect career in this world. She was now relaxing under the hot spray of the shower. Sakura always took a shower before she left work. Just because she worked with the dead didn't mean she had to smell like them.

She met Shizune in the locker room and shared a chat with her:

"You still have three more to go huh?" she asked while putting on her tank top

"One with multiple stab wounds for Naruto and Sai, one hit and run and one suicide." She declared as she pulled an energy drink from her locker and closing the door leaning on it.

Sakura shook her head and said in an irritated tone:

"You know right now it's only the two of us and can't Tsunade see that we can't handle it."

After retiring Tsunade had decided to become the head of the department and right now was their boss. Sakura loved the woman she had loved her ever since her college days but right now she felt abused and she was pretty sure that Shizune felt the same.

After taking a sip from her energy drink Shizune mused:

"I know right. I mean sometimes I feel like throwing a tantrum but you can't blame Tsunade it's just that this job is too demanding and it's not for everybody. I heard that before they called you in, there was only one candidate but after two days he quit."

Sakura shook her head in disapproval but she decided not to dwell on it further. She wished Shizune a nice day and left the locker room. On her way out she almost bumped into Naruto:

"Hey Sakura-chan how are you? Going home already?"

Sakura smiled at her childhood friend and pinched his cheek:"Well aren't you lively today. Maybe because you weren't the one who got called out of bed, three in the morning."

Naruto scratched his blond head while asking:"You got the body from the forest huh?"

Sakura only nodded and asked him with a smile:"I was expecting to see you there but you never told me that yesterday would be your last day with Genma."

"Well yeah but Kakashi is a nice guy once you get to know him. So you don't have to worry."

Sakura wasn't worried. She thought Kakashi was a bit weird but hey everybody had their little quirks so she wasn't one to judge. Suddenly Sakura remembered where she was going and grinned at the blonde:

"You know I am meeting the girls now. Do you have any love messages for Hinata I can pass on?" Naruto suddenly became red in the face and then scratched the back of his head once again. Sakura wasn't a mean person she just liked to mess around with her friends. Especially Naruto and Hinata, the pair had been having this romance since high school but Naruto finally decided that only chasing around wouldn't do anymore. Ino had told Sakura that they were together now but Sakura couldn't believe until she saw for herself.

"No it's fine Sakura-chan." Naruto muttered. He wished her a nice day and made his way inside the building to meet up with Shizune

Sakura got in her car and drove away in the direction of the mall where she was meeting her friends. Along the way she couldn't help but wonder if the information she had given Kakashi and Genma was of any use. She figured that she would find them tomorrow and ask them how the investigation is going.

She liked to follow up on cases. It made her feel better to know that justice was served. Back in Suna she tried to help the detectives as much as possible by giving tips and information and they were always grateful. But Konoha was different some of the detectives might think she is just trying to get attention. However she knew that Genma would never think about her in that way. She wasn't sure about Kakashi thought.

"Kasumi is dead?" the doctor asked in amazement

Both detectives nodded to confirm and the doctor looked down at the marble floor in sadness. They had gotten to the hospital half an hour ago and after waiting for the doctor to finish up with a patient they proceeded to question the young man:

"When was the last time you saw Kasumi?" Kakashi asked after noting that the young male was composed enough to answer their questions

"Three months ago. I was the one who took her to the support group meeting for the first time."

Genma's eyebrow rose at that statement:"Do you do this for all of your patients?"

"N-no it's not like that. I have known Kasumi for a very long time. All I ever wanted was to help her. She always tried to destroy herself."

"Destroy herself?" Kakashi asked after hearing the unusual statement

"She was always sure that she didn't belong in this world and in this form. You see she was seeing several psychologists and all of them drew the same conclusion after seeing her that she was a schizophrenic. She was so sure that all of the people around her were out to get her."

"But she never saw you like that?" Genma asked

"Yes but only because I saved her when she slid her wrists, after that she kept coming here to see me every day. I wanted to do something more for her so I took her to the group. I knew that the people there were going to help her. I just didn't want to see her like that. She was a very beautiful girl but there was always something tragic about her. The nurses here even called her that "The tragic beauty"

Both men kept silent and thinking the same thing:"_Was the group responsible for her murder?_" But just as they were about to ask their last question the doctor beat them to it:

"I suggest you go to the support group. There you will be able to find more information. I can give you the address."

Sakura was sipping her ice late and listening to the gossiping her friends were doing. However her thoughts were not at the table. She was still thinking about the case. The thing that made her feel like she was missing something was the flowers. There had to be a meaning behind those flowers:"_Why calla lilies_?"

"Hello Earth to Sakura." Sakura's attention snapped to the floating hand in front of her eyes. The hand belonged to Ino and as she settled back in her seat she asked with an eyebrow twitch:"Caught up in your work again?"

Sakura merely smiled. She never did talk much about her work with her friends. She figured that none of them wanted to hear about how people died. So she simply shrugged but then decided to ask Ino:

"Hey can you tell me what does it mean when you give someone calla lilies?"

Ino smiled at the fact that her florist knowledge was needed for something. She took great pride in her family's store and she ran it with an iron hand. She hummed a bit before responding:

"Well it depends how you look at it. There are several meanings but the most popular one is that of purity and virtue. That is why most brides choose it for a wedding."

"That's why you are going to make my bouquet with those flowers on my wedding one day." Ten Ten sighted in a dreamy voice next to her

"Of course and I will do it for free." Ino said with a smile:"By the way Forehead when are going to drop the single lady act and go on a date?"

Sakura grunted and dropped her head to the table which earned her a chuckle from Hinata and Ten Ten. She eyed both girls in a not very nice way before turning to Ino:"When you get me one. I am sick of going on first dates without seconds to follow."

Ino's face started glowing. Secretly the blond liked to play matchmaker with her friends. It was a secret but she was the one who pushed Naruto to ask Hinata out. And since that had worked well she decided to give it another go:"Perfect! I can ask my cousin Santa to ask you out."

Sakura's eyes suddenly went wide:"Ino I was only joking. I don't need you to set me up with anyone."

Ino put her hand under her chin and said in a warm voice:"Nonsense. Santa is a real gentleman. And he is pretty open minded. So your job won't be a problem"

Sakura hummed in response and after giving it a thought she shrugged her shoulders:"Oh well. Why not? You just have to ask me when I will be free." The only response Sakura got was a squeal in happiness.

As the girls still kept talking over their drinks Sakura's phone rang. She got up from the table and walked away. It was the lab calling with the results from the tests she had asked them to do. As she answered and heard all of the information she quickly hung up and dialed Genma.

Kakashi and Genma were interviewing the last member of the support group. Sasori who was the organizer just stood near the window watching the busy street. His face was neutral but his thoughts were racing in his mind:"_They found her already. I put her in the forest yesterday and they already made it here?_"

"Sasori-san?"

His eyes snapped to the direction from where the voice was coming only to face the silver haired detective. He tried to remain as neutral as possible as he walked past him while saying:

"I have no idea how something horrible as this could happen to Kasumi."

"Well we are trying to find out." Genma said while shoving his hands in his pockets:"Can you tell us about your relationship with Kasumi."

Sasori remained calm but in his mind the scene from that night replayed over and over again. Kasumi's eyes and her perfect face staring at him in the silence of this very room. He then turned to the detectives and started explaining:

"Kasumi was a very interesting person. When I met her she caught my attention very quickly and I must admit my attention to be captured like that is a very hard task."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked in wonder of the statement he had just heard

"I mean that her view of the world was interesting. She saw everything in a different way than normal people. She saw life as a punishment and a burden. That is why she had tried to free herself from it."

"Yes but you changed that. We spoke to the people that were close to her and they claim that since she met you her view of the world changed. In fact her character changed." Genma added, his eyes not leaving the man's face for a minute

Sasori kept silent for a moment. In his mind thought his anger was rising. In the beginning he had been looking for a person like Kasumi for very a long time. A person who saw things the way he did and a person who existed as an object to give him joy. Like a doll. But then she changed and she had seen herself as something more than an object, she finally understood that she was human. Just as he was going to say something a phone rang and his eyes followed the movements of the brown haired detective who drew out his cell phone:

"Give me a moment." He said to both Kakashi and Sasori and walked to the other side of the room to answer leaving his partner and the other man to share the silence.

The name on the screen made him smile before answering:"Sakura-chan you miss me already?" he asked teasingly.

"Very funny Genma but we don't have time for this right now. Where are you?"

Genma felt how serious her tone is so he decided to leave the teasing for later:"We are talking to Sasori. They guy who runs the support group."

"Okay good because I think you will like what I have to say. The poison used to kill Kasumi was rat poison but that's not the only thing. You saw in my report that I collected DNA from under her fingernails right?"

"Yeah ." he confirmed while turning around to see if his conversation had drawn their attention but Kakashi was talking with the guy so he turned back to Sakura.

"Well the test results just came back and they matched the DNA of Sasori in the system. Back in Suna they collected prints and samples from him so they hit Bingo. Check if he has old scratches somewhere."

"Really that's really interesting." He said while eyeing Sasori. The guy still had that stupid frozen face but he could see something in his eyes. Was it worry?:"Listen Sakura I'll call you later okay?"

Genma could almost see Sakura grinning as she said:"Go get him."

He then turned around to face Kakashi and Sasori. He saw question in his partner's eyes but with a calm tone he proceeded to act:

"Sasori-san where were you the night Kasumi disappeared?"

"I was here. I saw her leave and after that I cleaned up after the meeting and left. I am always the last one to leave."

"Interesting. Well then can you explain how did your DNA was found under her fingernails?"

Sasori suddenly froze. He could feel the other detective smile behind him and the one in front of him was doing the same:"_Damn them. And Damn Kasumi as well_." He thought. That night he had proposed to Kasumi to visit him home. The thing was that the stupid girl was so in love with him that there was no way she could refuse a tempting offer like that. Three days before he had decided that it was time to add Kasumi to his collection.

He just couldn't help himself. He should have stopped this hobby of his in Suna. Sasori had slipped in Suna and that almost send him behind bars but he never thought that his impatience could get the better of him. He needed to make her a part of his collection. He needed to make her into a doll so she could bring him even bigger joy.

When he had taken her to his house all he had to do was offer something to drink. When the bitch finally caught on to him it was too late. She flung herself at him and with the last strength she had she scratched his arms before collapsing at his feet. He still had the red lines to show but he was lucky he was wearing a long sleeved shirt right now.

After that it was so easy. He preserved her body until her skin became white like a doll. He washed her body but never bothered to wash her hands that well. He had dressed her up and put make-up on her face. Then she was ready for her display. If they had his DNA it was over for him. He chose to say nothing at the moment:

"Sasori-san my partner asked you a question." the silver haired detective told him

"I will say nothing without my lawyer present." was the only response they got.

The following day Kakashi and Genma got a warrant for Sasori's arrest and also one to search his house. There they found a collection of dolls and photos of murdered girls that matched each doll. Apparently he had done this before but he had always gotten away with it. They found a doll that matched Kasumi in appearance and clothes. In his basement they found a freezer big enough to hold a human body, make up, wigs and different female outfits.

When they had gathered everything and presented everything to Sasori he still kept denying but in the end they had enough evidence to build a case against him. After a long and hard day Kakashi and Genma decided to go celebrate the success. In the usual bar where most of the police department hung around they saw Naruto:

"Hey guys, I heard you got the freak huh congratulations."

"Thanks Naruto."Genma said while looking around:"Hey are you alone? Why don't you join us?"

"I am actually waiting for Hinata and Sakura. They should be here any moment now."

Kakashi's attention was drawn the moment he heard Sakura's name. He and Genma wanted to go to her and thank her. If it wasn't for her and the hints she had given them this case would have dragged on further than it was supposed to. Maybe even another girl would have suffered the same fate as Kasumi.

"Oh there they are. Hinata, Sakura over here." The blond detective waved to guide them.

When both girls reached the bar Hinata hugged Naruto and he gave her a kiss which made Genma whistle. Hinata's face became red and Naruto stepped in:

"Come on Genma don't be jealous."

Genma simply raised his hands in the air and chuckled. Sakura looked around and saw an empty table and pointed Naruto and Hinata to it. As she was wishing the two detectives a nice evening Kakashi stopped her by gently catching her arm:

"Sakura stay for a minute." He said while signaling the bartender for a drink.

Sakura smiled and said:"Come on guys. You think I can't buy my own drinks." She teased while gently tugging Kakashi's shoulder

"Yeah but the first round is a way to say "Thank you"" Genma said before taking a swig from his whiskey.

"Sakura I hope you realize that because of you we cracked the case." Kakashi added while looking at her.

Sakura merely smiled and raised her shoulders. But then she said in an innocent tone:"Don't take this the wrong way guys but you cops lack something. And that is that you are so worried in protection the public that you don't notice the small things within a society."

Both men smiled at her statement as they realized that she was right. The bartender put a glass of whiskey on the bar. Sakura took the glass and drank it in one breath. The liquid burning her throat and making her stomach feel hot. Kakashi and Genma looked at her with wide eyes; she noticed that and gave them a small smack on the back:

"Just because I am a woman doesn't mean that I can't handle my drink."

With that she left them to join Naruto and Hinata. Kakashi looked after her as she passing by the crowd. He then noticed the way she dressed. She was wearing a white sweater that reached mid thigh with black leggings and matching white high heeled boots. Her hair was partly up and he couldn't help but let his gaze wonder up and down her body until she finally disappeared from his view. He then heard Genma calling his name. When he finally paid his partner attention the only thing Genma said was:

"Stop staring."

* * *

Okay so case 1 is finished i already started in writing case 2 but for case 3 i am open for suggestions from you guys ;) Hope you enjoy


	4. Case 2 The Gentleman and The Tramp part1

Eight in the morning Sakura was running through the park in her jogging outfit. She had her headphones in her ears and aviator style sunglasses were shielding her eyes from the sun. There were other people in the park. Other joggers and also dog walkers were passing by her and Sakura felt calm and happy. She was praying that no one would call her today since for Shizune it was court day.

That meant that Shizune had to be in court all day long and Sakura had to take everything what came in. After the „Tragic beauty" case she had time to relax and rest but found that to be a big mistake. Now she was hoping that she would get to work around ten and do paperwork all day and nothing else. However karma was a bitch.

She felt the familiar vibration of her pager in her jacket pocket and as she pulled it out she closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them once more to take a glimpse of the screen. The familiar number made her grunt. She turned around and ran faster than before.

Naruto was looking around trying to spot Sakura's car. They had called her an hour ago but there was still no sign of her anywhere. Finally he saw the familiar Toyota pull up in the parking space in front of the building. When she emerged from the car Naruto spread his arms open:

"Sakura-chan finally, we have been waiting for you."

Sakura quickly walked to him and kissed him on the cheek and then followed him inside the fancy apartment building:

"I am sorry Naruto I wasn't home when you paged me."

"It's okay, let's go up and wrap this up." He smiled at her and led her through the lobby.

Sakura couldn't help but look around and gasp at the luxury surrounding her. The marble tiles, the velvet chairs and couches and the doorman who was dressed in a clean uniform made her feel like she was in another world. She knew that her surrounding would be nothing but top notch when she got the address. She then joked with Naruto while following him inside the spacious elevator:

"Hey, Naruto. How many years do you think we have to work our asses off to get here?"

Naruto grinned at her before replying:"More than you can count."

They rode the elevator until they reached the sixth floor and that's where they got off. Following Naruto down the hallway she greeted the police officers and crime scene investigators along the way. In front of the apartment door they met Sai.

Sakura felt that Sai needed more connection with society at some point. When he smiled it looked kind of forced and also he wasn't one for compliments:

"Good morning Sakura-san, you look kind of tired today."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched and for a moment Naruto feared that his friend who had the shortest temper ever would flip. Instead Sakura muttered:

"Thanks Sai that made my day."

She followed the two detectives in the apartment where she was met with a living room that was bigger than her bedroom and living room all together. She could see there was a party in here. There were champagne glasses and bottles everywhere. Trays with food were still lying on the tables and she could see streamers around the floor:

"Looks like some people were having fun last night." She said while following the two detectives closely behind

"Yeah but the fun went a little over board." Naruto added and stopped when he entered the bedroom.

Sakura's eyes fell on the master bedroom. The body of a young man lay on top of the burgundy red covers. She got closer and put her kit on the floor, her eyes not leaving the body for a moment. He was dressed in a white silk shirt and black pants. She could tell that they were pretty expensive. In the middle of his chest there was a bright red blood stain and a part of a champagne glass sticking out from the flesh and fabric.

"Three stab wounds to the chest. From the looks of it first one to the ribs, second one to the stomach and third one close to the heart." Sakura said while examining the cuts on the shirt.

She heard a notepad being opened and notes being scribbled so she continued to examine. She looked up to the open collar of his shirt and saw bruises around his neck:"It looks like they tried to strangle him first." She then took his arms and pulled up his sleeves only to find cuts and more bruises:"Poor guy. He tried to fight back."

"Sakura-san can you tell us the time of death?" Sai asked while looking up from his notepad

Sakura put down his arms back where they were. She could tell the exact time when she would examine the body at the morgue but now judging from the stiffness in his limbs she could roughly estimate it:

"I can tell you now that he died three or four hours ago."

Both detectives nodded and Sakura got up from her spot only to look at the face of the guy. He looked kind of familiar. The goatee and also his round face. She had seen this guy somewhere but couldn't remember where:

"Who is this guy anyway?" She asked the two detectives

"His name Hamaki Mimura, thirty-three years old he is the majority owner of one of the biggest security companies in Konoha." Naruto recited while looking in Sai's notepad.

Sakura then remembered and said in an energetic tone:"Now I remember. I read about him in the paper. His company got chosen to protect the some really important politician while he ran his campaign."

Both detectives looked at Sakura with a questionable look. She then asked in amazement:

"Honestly don't you read the news paper?"

Both of them shook their heads and as she was about to say something else she felt another vibration coming from the belt of her jeans. All three of them looked at the pager on her belt and she cursed the stupid devise Naruto laughed at her and then warned:

"Sakura-chan we called you first. You know what we say in Konoha police department."

"I know. I know "First call, first receive" she quoted while dialing the number on her cell phone.

Kakashi thought that today would be one of those days where he would sit as his desk all day doing paperwork or reading Icha Icha but he proved to be wrong. He wished Naruto and Sai good luck when they got called. And it was no longer than fifteen minutes when the phone on his desk rang. Now he was standing in an alley in one of the sketchiest districts of Konoha.

That part of Konoha was reserved for the yakuza and illegal busyness. Genma had arrived ten minutes before him and now both of them were leaning against the hood of their car drinking coffee and relaxing as were all the others. It was unusual for the medical examiner to be late, so all of the people on the scene were trying to figure out what to do:

"Where the hell is Shizune? I paged her like an hour ago." Genma grunted while looking around to see if he can spot the brown haired doctor somewhere.

"Relax, maybe something got in the way, maybe there is a traffic jam. There is a reasonable explanation for everything."

Just as Genma was going to say something else a very familiar Toyota parked right next them. Kakashi saw a very stressed and pissed Sakura picking up everything she needed and opening her door. Once she exited the car a few men applauded her that she was finally making an appearance.

"Oh my God stop clapping or I am leaving." She almost screamed at them and then eyed Kakashi and Genma who remained unfazed by her behavior:

"I thought you paged Shizune." Kakashi said to Genma pretending Sakura wasn't there

"Yeah I did." He replied with a smile confirming that the game was on.

Sakura put her hands on her hips and said with a smile but there was nothing nice in her tone:

"You know Shizune is in court today." The two men raised their eyes to meet her smirk:"She is going to be there all day long. You can wait for her until she finishes if you want. I will be taking my leave now."

She turned around and started walking back to her car but Kakashi grabbed her arm and turned her around so she can face him:

"Now now Sakura no need to be mean. We were just having fun."

For a moment Sakura forgot how to breathe. He was so close to her. If she leaned a bit she could place a small kiss on those seductive lips of his. She shook her head and went back to be mad hoping that he didn't notice the faint blush on her cheeks:

"Can we get going now? I have work to do for Naruto and Sai as well."

Kakashi let her go and smiled at the fact that the blush on her cheeks was still present, Genma however decided to ignore the little moment they had and walked in front of Sakura leading her into the dirty alley. But then he remembered and suddenly he turned around so fast that Sakura almost crashed into him:

"Who called first?" e demanded in a harsh tone

Sakura smiled at the little game and answered in a sweet voice:"Naruto and Sai."

Half of the people present grunted and some of them even cursed but then Genma said enlightened:"Yeah but I paged Shizune first. It had to take her time to page you. When did Naruto and Sai call you?"

"Eight o'clock." She said while crossing her arms in front of her chest and smiling

Kakashi looked at Genma expecting him to say the expected answer but Genma only dropped his head down which earned another series of grunts and curses. Then Sakura raised her voice so everyone can hear her while she was walking in the alley:"Sorry guys but you know the saying you have."

All of them said in one voice:

"First call, first receive."

Sakura smiled at the choir they made and then proceeded to examine her surroundings. From the top of the society chain she was now at the bottom. The alley was dirty and smelly. Trash bags filled with rubbish were everywhere. She walked in further and then noticed a pair of legs showing from a bundle of trash bags. She walked in closer only to discover the body of a young woman lying on the ground.

The woman was dressed in a low cut green dress. The whole dress was covered in jewels and every time the sun hit her body the dress would sparkle. Her legs were spread apart and wrapped around her ankle was a pair of matching green thongs. Next to her arm on the ground there was an empty syringe. The first thing that Sakura thought was that maybe the victim died of an overdose but the underwear didn't fit the profile:

"Rape?" she asked without taking her eyes off the body

"We were hoping you would tell us that?" Kakashi hummed behind her

Sakura took a UV light out of her kit and flashed it between the girl's thighs. She saw the white spots on her sticking out like a rash. She then put the light over her face but found nothing there. Sakura leaned closer to the lips of the girls and took a sniff.

There was no smell of poison and there was no semen on her face. She then looked the vein on the girls arm. It was bruised and dilated, there were also bruises that looked like a belt had been tied there but when Sakura looked around she found nothing that matched the bruises:

"Have you found anything like a belt or something?"

Genma asked around but no one found something even remotely close to a belt. After letting Sakura take her time with the body she stood up and took of her gloves. She then recited while staring at the ground:

"Death occurred five or six hours ago. The bruises on her arm tell me that she was trying to dose herself with some kind of drug. Judging by the lovely neighborhood we're in I can say that maybe its meth. I am not sure however if she was raped or she had consensual sex. I can say that after I do the rape kit back at the morgue."

Kakashi and Genma nodded and let the guys bag the body while escorting Sakura back to her car. While preparing to leave she said:"I have one gentleman and one tramp."

"Ladies should be first." Genma said while trying to sweet talk her so she would give them the results first but then she only winked at both him and Kakashi and she said:

"Yeah but the gentleman called first."


End file.
